Author Note : I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. No Bella/Marcus bonding time, unfortunately. Sorry if anyone thought the ending to the last chapter was weird. Hopefully, no one gets upset with the way this story turned this chapter.

Also, someone asked who I saw as portraying Marcus in my story. and it's actually a younger Christopher Heyerdahl, the same actor who played him. Only the picture I used was from his movie The Ghosts of Dickens' Past. I think in the movie his hair is blonde, but in this story, it's dark brown.

Disclaimer : I don't own Twilight or its characters.


Chapter 13.

Jane was leaving the guards wing after checking in on Felix and Gianna. When she rounded the corner of the hallway, she barely missed running into Alec.

"Alec?" Jane was puzzled. "Aren't you supposed to be guarding the east wing?"

Even though Master Marcus had asked not to be disturbed, Aro couldn't help but put a guard near the wing where the new queen would be changing. Jane recalled Heidi's words on Aro being a control freak.

Alec rubbed his forehead. "Was I supposed to?" He murmured, confused.

"Are you ok, brother?" Jane leaned closer to him. "Can you not remember?" Her voice became panicked, remembering her own confusion because of the hybrids gift.

Before Alec could answer, a scream cut through the halls. Jane gasped because it wasn't just anyone's scream. It was Bella's!

"Go get Aro! Now!" Jane ordered her brother and shoved him down the hallway.

The blonde vampire sprinted down the hallway of the east wing as fast as she could. She burst into Marcus's bedroom, ripping the door off the hinges, and screamed in shock at the sight that met her covering her mouth. Marcus's head was between the bed and the doorway. And his decapitated body lay facedown naked on the sheets.

"Help!" She screamed as loud as she could. "I need help!" She yelled out again as she ran over to her kings head and picked it up, his eyes blinked up at her. "Oh no, no, no." She murmured.

"Jane!" Demetri yelled for her before he burst into the bedroom.

The tracker was in shock at the scene. He rushed to the bed and flipped Marcus over, pulling the bed blanket over his hips.

"Give me his head, Jane!" He ordered the blonde who quickly handed it over. "We're going to heal you Master." He promised the king whose eyes blinked again in acknowledgment. "I'm so sorry." He murmured in advance.

The only way to reattach a vampire limb was with venom. Normally, if a vampire lost a hand or such, they would simply lick the appendage and reattach it. Marcus couldn't do that. Demetri cupped one of his hands under his mouth and felt venom pool from his mouth into his palm. He rubbed it across Marcus's decapitated neck.

"Marcus!" Aro cried as he burst into the bedroom with his brother, queens, and Alec following.

"Where's Bella?" Sulpicia grabbed Jane by her shoulders and asked.

"I don't know. I only found Master Marcus! And Alec was confused." Jane explained.

"It was that hybrid!" Dora hissed. "You should've snapped her neck when she showed up, instead of being amazed by her gift." The ashy haired queen pushed Aro's shoulder as she barged past him to help Demetri.

Aro ran a hand through his hair and growled as he paced around for a moment.

"Jane, go find the rest of the guards, have them meet us in the throne room immediately! Alec, track Bella's scent and report back where it leads." Aro ordered the twins who quickly left the room to follow his orders.

Sulpicia grabbed Aro's hand, and he saw the worry she felt for Bella.

"We will find her." Aro squeezed his wife's hand as her eyes filled with venom tears.

Caius followed his wife and helped lift Marcus into a seated position so Demetri could set his head down straight onto the lower part of his neck. The skin sizzled as it mended back together.

"I can't track Bella!" Demetri said as he looked at Caius.

Caius hissed at the reminder, and Dora placed a hand on his shoulder. A loud growl echoed throughout the room as Marcus shook his head and got control of his limbs again. He gagged a few times as his vocal cords finished mending, and then he quickly stood up, jerking away from Caius's arms.

"Isabella." He rasped out as his hand clutched his chest when it exploded in pain, and he dropped to one knee with a groan.

"We're going to find her!" Aro exclaimed as he grabbed Marcus's arm and helped him up.

Sulpicia sped to his closet and returned quickly with some clothes that she thrust into Aro's arms.

"Help him get dressed." She ordered before grabbing Dora's hand. "We're going to meet Jane at the throne room to explain to everyone what's happened." The queens were gone in a flash.

"I didn't see who grabbed me. It happened right after I bit her." Marcus groaned out as another wave of pain spread across his chest. "She's hurt."

"She's changing, Marcus. That's the pain you feel and the distance." Caius reassured him as he pulled a long sleeve shirt over Marcus's head.

"You need to feed immediately." Aro murmured. "You need your strength back." The raven-haired king knelt and helped Marcus put on his pants, catching all of Marcus's memories as he did. "Don't feel embarrassed, Marcus. You would do this for us, too." He murmured as he heard the disgust of being helped to dress.

"I'm going to get you a human quickly." Caius said before he sped away.

Marcus gripped Aro's arm and let his brother see all his panic. He'd already lost Didyme, and now it was repeating. Aro pulled Marcus into a rare hug.

"We are going to find her. We won't let her die, not like... not like my sister." Aro promised him. "But I need you to get it together. You can't retreat like you did before."

Caius returning broke them apart. The blonde king was carrying a human male who was knocked out. He sped to Marcus's side and stood the human up. Marcus's thirst flared, and he grabbed the human, sinking his teeth into their neck and draining them quickly. He felt his strength returning and flung the dead human away from him.

Marcus growled loudly. "I am going to kill them." He darted from the bedroom, following the rope in his chest.

He had told Bella before that the bond that connected them could tell them how far apart they were. And it was true. It was like a beacon leading Marcus to her.

"Marcus, no!" Caius yelled out and shoved him into a wall.

Marcus roared at the blonde king and shoved him away before continuing.

"Alec!" Aro called loudly, and then Marcus knew no more.

Caius stood from the ground and sped to his two brothers quickly. Alec stood next to Marcus, having been coming from the direction the king had been running, too.

"I followed Bella's scent down to the old tunnels and through the church. They knew the castle layout." Alec murmured.

"The hybrid wouldn't know that. Neither would Joham." Caius said.

"They're working with someone higher." Aro hissed. "Give Marcus his senses back, Alec. Help me hold him, Caius."

Alec did as he was told, and Marcus hissed as he awoke and found himself held to the wall by Caius.

"Marcus, you can't get her back by yourself. Alec just said her scent led to the old church. There's someone other than the hybrid doing this. You don't know what you're walking into." Aro explained.

"I can track her through the bond and take us right to her." Marcus snarled as he struggled against his brothers.

"And like Sulpicia said before, what if Joham has multiple hybrids? What if he has a whole coven trying to overtake us? We need a plan." Caius hissed in Marcus's face.

"You don't understand." Marcus growled. "Your mate is here and safe." He yelled at Caius.

A loud crash and snarls make their heads snap down the hallway along with screams.

"Aro!" Sulpicia screamed loudly, and Marcus was let go as Aro rushed to his wife in a panic.

Caius shoved Marcus in front of him, ushering him towards the throne room. Alec ran with them. They burst into the throne room to chaos. Jane was using her gift on Afton, who was on the ground screaming. Chelsea lunged at Jane but gagged and quickly backtracked into Heidi's arms, who pulled her away . A tall blonde vampire crouched beside Jane, glaring at anyone who came close. Renata, Demetri, and Santiago stood guard in front of the queens.

"Jane!" Aro roared. "Stop now!" He ordered.

Jane's head whipped around to stare at Aro, and she whimpered as she realized her actions. Chelsea quickly dropped down by Afton's side and growled at Jane. The blonde male beside her snarled and came towards Aro but quickly stopped as Alec stepped forward and took his senses.

"Who is this?" Caius demanded to know as he pointed at the male.

Corin stepped forward to answer. "He's one of Victoria's newborns. We found him in Washington. He has an interesting gift to repel people."

"Jane lost it when she came in and saw Afton dragging him towards the dungeon." Chelsea hissed as she glared at the young blonde.

"Master." Jane whimpered as she stood by the blonde male protectively.

"Have you lost your mind, Jane?" Caius barked.

"No, she found her mate." Marcus informed them as he saw the bond.

Dora gasped as she glanced back at the pair standing in the middle of the room.

"We do not need this right now!" Caius paced over to Dora. "Bella has been taken, Jane! Remember her?"

Jane flinched back. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize what I was doing." She sobbed. "I don't want him to be executed."

"Miss Bella is gone?" Corin asked as she learned the news, and Chelsea gasped.

Aro rubbed his head. "Corin! Show me your memories!" He reached out, and the vampire quickly grabbed his hand, going into her mind and seeing what led them back with the male.

Aro released her hand. "Give him his senses back, Alec!"

The blonde male shook his head and dropped into a crouch to growl at them as he stood in front of Jane.

"No!" Jane hissed as she jerked him up. "Stop it!" She ordered him.

He stood up and looked at her confused as he rubbed his chest.

"What do you know about the hybrids, Fred?" Aro asked him.

"Your name is Fred?" Jane questioned.

"Jane!" Aro barked, and she quickly bowed her head.

Marcus sped forward and grabbed the blonde male by his neck, picking him up slightly. "Tell me about the hybrid's!" He roared as he shook the male angrily.

Jane gasped, and Alec grabbed her to hold her back. "No, Jane." He murmured.

Aro came to Marcus's side and grabbed Fred's hand as Marcus held him up.

Fred stared at the angry man before him. "I only met one. I didn't know she was a hybrid. I left the army with my friend, Bree." He began to explain. "A few weeks ago, we went to Idaho because Bree remembered a letter from her mother, Jennifer, once coming from there after she left them for another man, even though Bree's father claimed he killed her mother. She wanted to investigate. While there, we ran across another vampire, and what we thought was a human. But they smelled different, and their heartbeat was faster."

Fred's eyebrows furrowed. "The man saw Bree and seemed like he was in shock. But then claimed she looked just like her mother. The man said his name was Joham, and he had rescued her mother from Bree's abusive father. He said that he and Jennifer had a child together, a daughter named after her mother. He became persistent that Bree went with him to meet her half-sister. He said she could convince his daughter, Jennifer, to join his cause." Fred growled. "Bree asked for an address and said we would like to visit her alone. The female with him stepped forward, and the next thing I knew, I was wandering around the forrest. I don't know how I got there or where Bree went." He murmured. "I went back to Washington to see if I could find Bree's father. Maybe scare some truths out of him about her mother. I figure he may know about vampires if he lied to Bree and went as far as claiming he was a murderer so she would forget her mom. But those three found me instead." He nodded at Corin, Chelsea, and Afton.

"He tells the truth." Aro murmured and let the newborns hand go.

"What else do you know?" Marcus shook him.

"Nothing. I barely spoke to the hybrid!" Fred said as Jane growled at Marcus, and Alec hissed quietly in her ear.

"Surely there's something else, anything?" Sulpicia came forward. "Did they give you the vicinity that Jennifer lives?"

Fred sighed as he thought. "I think," he paused. "the man spoke quietly to the woman at one point. About calling Vladimir?"

Sulpicia gasped, and Marcus roared as he flung the blonde male across the room. Jane was at Fred's side in an instant. Marcus punched one of the stone walls and pieces shattered around his hand, soaring through the air.

"Marcus!" Caius grabbed his brother. "We're going to get her back!" He exclaimed as he jerked Marcus away from the wall.

"We need to get to Romania!" Marcus growled as he struggled against Caius.

"It's a two or three hour flight, I can get the jet ready!" Heidi offered as she sped from the room.

"We have no clue what we're walking into!" Renata said. "Why are the Romanians working with hybrids?"

"We need allies." Afton murmured quietly from Chelsea's side.

Jane looked apologetically at the two but received a hiss in return from Heidi.

"I can try calling on Amun." Demetri said. "He has Benjamin. Though, I doubt Ben told Amun he's been in contact with me."

Amun still hadn't forgiven Demetri for leaving. But Benjamin had been curious about his sires "son" that left. He had contacted Demetri many years before.

"Call him." Aro ordered. "Renata, call your great uncle, Luca."

"I'll try to get Makeena and Charles too." She murmured as she left the throne room.

"Gianna hasn't transformed yet, and we can't go without Felix." Jane spoke up quietly.

"Go inform him of what has happened, Jane. Now." Aro ordered.

Jane began to follow her Master's order but hesitated and glanced back at Fred.

Aro sighed and rubbed his head. "Chelsea, Afton, please go inform Felix of the events that have happened."

Chelsea and Aftin were happy to oblige. They didn't want to be around Jane any longer.

"How long have you been a vampire?" Caius barked at the newborn. "How does your gift work?"

Fred glanced at Jane, and when she nodded, he squared his shoulders and stepped forward. "Around a year and a half. And I can push out revulsion, I guess. Other vampires have gagged before and left me alone."

"How far can you extend it?" Caius interrogated.

"Maybe ten feet or so." Fred answered him.

"You can help." Jane murmured as she touched Fred's arms.

"He's going to help if he wants to stay here with you." Marcus stated. "That hybrid you met stole my mate. And your friend."

Fred nodded. "I will fight with you."

Jane beamed at him as she took his hand. Alec growled at Fred, and Jane hissed at her brother.

Heidi burst into the throne room. "Masters!" She exclaimed. "I received a call from a Cullen. The psychic." She growled. "She said that Stephen and Vladimir have about fifty to sixty newborns that she can see, but the number keeps fluctuating. The hybrids are a black spot in her vision. She can't count them."

"If Alice Cullen can see them, then why didn't she warn us that my mate was going to be taken?" Marcus snarled.

Heidi flinched back from the angry king. "She said she will fight with us. Her mate and her." She murmured quietly. "She said we shouldn't go to Romania until two days have passed or we'll perish." Heidi whispered.

Marcus growled. "I will not wait two days! And those Cullen's might not make it off the battlefield for that suggestion of leaving my mate with the enemy for days."

"We have Bella because of those Cullen's." Sulpicia murmured begrudgingly. "And apparently Alice knows something that we don't. But do we listen to her?" Sulpicia asked.

Caius hissed. "Everything that happened to her is their fault to begin with."

Felix burst into the throne room, holding the hand of a transformed Gianna. Her shirt was covered in blood, and she snarled when she saw all the vampires gathered. Chelsea and Afton followed behind then.

"Where's Bella?" Gianna demanded in a hiss as she leaned towards Marcus, and Felix quickly jerked her into his arms, hushing her.

"Do we know how many are in the Romanian coven yet?" The large vampire asked his kings.

"Alice Cullen informed us over the phone it was around fifty or sixty newborns. She doesn't know how many hybris." Aro informed Felix.

Chelsea hissed at the news.

"Did she mention any gifts they had?" Afton questioned.

"No." Heidi answered him.

The throne room door opened again, and Demetri came inside with Renata following him.

"Benjamin and his mate Tia will help." Demetri announced. "They're running and swimming there. It may take them longer."

"Luca agreed to come, so did Makenna and Charles. A nomad traveling with them, Garrett, also agreed to fight." Renata told the kings.

"We need to get ready to leave." Marcus announced.

Aro turned to Sulpicia and began to speak, but she cut him off.

"I'm not staying here, Aro! I'm going to help get Bella back." She stated, already seeing his overprotective side start to come out.

"Absolutely not!" He spoke over her.

"I'm going too." Dora murmured as her hand found its place on Caius's chest over his scars. The same scars she almost lost him to once before.

Caius placed his hand over hers and nodded at her choice. Aro, however, was not as easily persuaded.

"You are staying here, Sulpicia." He ordered.

Sulpicia shook her head. "I love Bella too." She proclaimed. "She's become family. And I'm going to fight for her."

"I won't lose you like I did Didyme." Aro roared at her.

Dora gasped at his words, and the throne room went silent. Marcus placed a hand in his hair and tugged, a memory coming back of Bella tugging his hair just hours before. He wished he could go back.

"Didyme was my fault, Aro." Marcus murmured.

"Didyme's death is the Romanians' fault!" Caius spoke up. "They killed her. And we need to stick together right now. We don't have enough guards to split up for some to stay back with Sulpicia. Or Gianna." He glanced at the newborn. "We have no choice but to all go."

"Gianna can't fight." Felix hissed.

"I want to help!" Gianna exclaimed.

"Fred will be Gianna's partner. He can keep vampires ten feet away from him. Sulpicia can even fight with him." Marcus offered.

"Who's Fred?" Felix spat out.

Jane hissed at Felix, and the large vampire instinctually placed Gianna behind him and out of the blonde girls' sight. Felix saw a tall blonde male at Jane's side.

"I'm Fred." The new blonde spoke up. "Three of your, guard?" Fred said questiongly as he glanced around. "Brought me here. I was a newborn in Victoria's army. The hybrid and her father stole my covenmate, Bree." He murmured sadly. "I have a gift that repulses people."

Felix shifted and studied the newborn. "How do we know he's not in on it?"

"I read his memories." Aro informed him.

"That's the best plan we have right now. But do we go now or wait like the seer said?" Dora asked as she squeezed Caius's hand.

"We need to go now!" Marcus growled as he headed for the door.

"What if the seers, right?" Heidi asked quietly, and Marcus hissed at her.

Caius grabbed Marcus by his shoulder. "If the seer is telling the truth, it won't just be us that dies. Bella will, too. Will you risk it?" He murmured quietly to Marcus. "Will you risk our actions being what kills her?"

Marcus groaned and rubbed his chest. "Get Alice Cullen on the phone now!" He roared.


Meanwhile, in Greece, a cellphone rang, and a couple stopped their walk to answer the unknown number.

"We're not coming back to the States yet." The owner of the phone automatically said.

"Go to Romania to Stephen and Vladimir's castle. Scout out the place, see if you can get to Bella. You are the closest." A voice chimed across the line.

"What? Why would we do that? What do you mean about Bella?" The owner of the phones asked incredulously.

"Because this is your penance to Bella. That's why! This could save your life." The unknown caller said angrily. "This could save all of us. The Romanians took her. You two are closer to her. I won't make it in time. But she has to be there and safe when the Volturi arrive!"

"We're on our way." The second person spoke and took the phone into his hand, ending the call. "We are not leaving her there." The male said sternly as he grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her back to their car.


Bella screamed as the pain in her chest woke her up. She remembered a harsh blow to her skull knocking her unconscious after she watched Marcus get beheaded. She screamed out again at the thought.

"Maaarcuuus!" She sobbed.

She could feel her arms suspended above her head and a cold wall at her back. She didn't have any clothes on. She could feel flames lick across her skin and clenched her teeth together.

"Ah, and she's awake!" A voice exclaimed as a man walked forward.

His hair was so pale it was almost white. He was quite short, maybe around her height. His eyes were bright red. He sneered at her.

A woman stood next to him with a dark complexion and short black hair that fell to her chin. She looked human, but Bella realized she must have been a hybrid.

Fire shot through Bella's veins, and she screamed out as she squirmed. The male laughed.

"Your screams are music to my ears." The male stepped forward and ran a hand down Bella's fevered cheek.

Bella whimpered at the touch and felt bile raise in her throat. She gagged. The man jerked back as Bella's throat clenched, and then she threw up the desserts she'd had as her last meal.

"Disgusting!" The male said as he stepped forward and slapped her.

Bella's face had exploded in pain at the hit, and she heard a crack. Her back arched as she screamed until her voice cracked and she was reduced to sobbing. The burning in her veins moved to her face, and she felt something in her cheek move where she'd been slapped, and she flinched when it felt like her cheekbone had mended back together. The venom was healing her.

Her head was jerked up by her hair, and she was forced to stare into the man's red eyes. Bella suddenly felt exposed. She could feel a breeze blow across her body, Marcus was the only man who'd ever seen all of her. She whimpered and clenched her teeth as her body continued to burn.

"I'm Vladimir. Perhaps you've heard my name?" The white-haired man asked while the woman stood behind him, next to a rusty metal table.

Bella closed her eyes and let out a scream as the burning got worse.

"Vladimir. Have you heard my name or not?" He questioned Bella as he grabbed her chin.

Bella's mind raced, and she whimpered when she recalled Marcus telling her about the Romanian coven. The Romanians who killed Didyme. More specifically, Vladimir's mate killed the late queen.

"Marcus." Bella whimpered out as she remembered his head dropping to the floor, her chest flared up with pain. "You killed Didyme." She hissed at him as she raised her head.

Vladimir grinned at Bella."So you have heard of me." He tightened his hand on Bella's face until she cried out as a crack sounded from her jaw. "Your mate, " he sneered the word. "killed mine. He beheaded her so easily and tossed her in the flames. I thought that he and I were the same, mateless and lifeless. But then I find out that he's found you, his true mate. It's funny how he forgot Didyme so easily." He laughed and then ran his eyes down her naked form.

Bella shuddered and tried jerking her broken jaw away from her. She sobbed as the burning became intense in her jaw, and it snapped back together where he'd cracked it.

"You really think you could get away from me!" He laughed. "You're too weak." He pressed close enough to touch her skin as he spoke.

Bella stared into his red eyes and unclenhed her stiff jaw. She spat in his face. Vladimir stepped back and wiped his face while the woman growled and stepped forward. She punched Bella in the face, and blood spurted from her nose as it broke. Bella cried out and clenched her hands together in the chain, holding her up. She grunted as the venom worked on her face, and her nose healed with a painful click.

Vladimir laughed. "Sorry about that! Maysun can be quite protective over me." He brushed his fingers across the hybrids cheek, and she beamed at him. "I found her after so many years, a great companion for myself. I waited so long." He murmured and then ran his hand down her body to touch her stomach in a gentle caress that puzzled Bella.

Vladimir looked back to Bella. "I bided my time for years, waiting for an opportunity to get my revenge on the Volturi. And then I learned about you. We've been sending hybrids to scout around the Volturi's castle for a while now. They blend in so well. Imagine my surprise when one told me that Marcus Volturi had come back to Italy with a human. Then he saved you from a man at a theater. And then ravished you against a wall." Vladimir laughed, and Bella sobbed. "Not exactly a lady, are you? Not like Didyme." He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a black bag.

He walked back to Bella, and Maysun giggled as he slammed the bag down on the rusty table. He unzipped it, and Bella gasped as he pulled out a head. A woman's head with long black straight hair and elfin features. Vladimir held it up to face Bella. Didyme's face stared back at Bella, her face frozen and petrified.

"In all the chaos of our last war in Volterra, it was easy to swipe her head up when we left. She used to be able to hear us speak to her. She was terrified." Vladimir laughed, and Bella's lips wobbled, but no tears fell. "But years with no body or blood has made her petrified." He sighed. "But perhaps you can take her place now." He grinned at Bella.

Bella shuddered as she stared into his red eyes. Vladimir glanced down her body again and licked his lips. Maysun hissed and stepped forward to kick Bella's leg, her bone snapped as the hybrid made contact. Bella screamed and tried flinching away from the woman.

"Now, now May. You know that you're the only one I could possibly show anything like love to." Vladimir murmured to the hybrid.

The hybrid glared at Bella as she walked over and kissed Vladimir passionately, knocking Didyme's head to the floor, shoving him into the table behind him. Vladimir groaned but pushed Serena away.

Bella screamed as her leg snapped back together and then panted. She felt so exhausted.

"Not now, Maysun." Bella vaguely heard Vladimir murmured.

Maysun hissed as she pushed herself against him again, only to be shoved back. "I said no." Vladimir yelled. "Get out." He ordered.

Maysun glared at Bella again as she walked to the door. The hybrid was just a pawn, Bella realized. Vladimir didn't care for the girl at all. As the door clicked behind Maysun, Vladimir turned back to her.

"She can't take the place of my mate." He murmured. "The one your Marcus killed." He sneered. "But oh, that right. Marcus was torn to pieces, wasn't he?" Vladimir laughed.

"No, no, no." Bella murmured and sobbed.

"Yes, he's dead!" Vladimir said as he came forward and grabbed her chin. "Your mate is dead." He hissed. "I'd be willing to comfort you, though. I know how it feels." He murmured as he ran his hand down her neck to her chest.

Bella screamed and jerked away from him, making the burn in her body worse. She tried kicking the vampire but only managed to hurt her toes in the process.

"Don't touch me!" She sneered through her teeth and then groaned as pain shot through her body.

Vladimir wrapped his hand around her throat. "You don't want to be alone forever." He murmured. "We could rule overRomania together. I know you have a gift, a shield. Serena, Maysun's sister, her gift wouldn't work on you, she tried, you know. She said she saw you in the gardens." He breathed across her face.

Bella's chest flared in pain at the vampires scent, and she gagged again. She needed Marcus and his cinnamon scent. She needed his strong arms and ruby eyes. Vladimir jerked back in disgust.

"Perhaps once your human...urges are gone, we can talk more." Vladimir said as he walked towards the door. "Maysun will be guarding you. So don't try getting out of those chains." He flicked the light switch off and slammed the door.

Bella was left hanging there in the dark, exposed and in pain as the venom rushed through her bloodstream, with the late queens head laying before her.


"Again!" Caius barked at Gianna and Fred as they sparred with Demetri and Chelsea.

Gianna had just been thrown down by Chelsea after the newborn had tried to bite the guard. And though Fred had put up a fight, he was on his back while Demetri held him there by his neck.

Caius paced as he watched them, throwing in advice as they sparred. It had been over a day since Bella had been taken. And since Marcus had spoken to Alice. The king hadn't told them what the seer had said, but he had decided to follow her warning. They were to leave the next day and would arrive to Romanian near darkness so they could sneak up on their enemies.

Caius had been training Gianna and newcomer Fred nonstop. They needed to be prepared. If they died, then Felix and Jane would follow. Caius wasn't going to allow that to happen. He growled in frustration as Gianna was flung down again. He marched over to the newborn and picked her up by her shoulders.

"Is this how you will fight for your queen?" He shook Gianna's shoulders as he spat the words at her. "By giving up and just laying down!" He barked. "I thought you cared about Bella." Caius finished.

Gianna's eyes welled with unfalling tears. "I do care." She murmured quietly.

"Then fight like it!" Caius released her. "Again!" He barked at them as he stepped back to watch them.

The blonde king began his steady pacing around them, watching their every move, ready to correct them as soon as they made a mistake.


Marcus sat in the desk chair in his bedroom, the one with the broken arm. He had came here to go into his office, but paused and sat down to stare at the green sheets that still held Bella's scent and as Marcus inhaled, he was thrown back into his memories.

Memories

Marcus leaned back from Bella after he laid her on the bed and glanced down at her. Her eyes were bright, and her face flushed. He began to unbutton his shirt, but his mate became I patient and leaned up to rip his shirt open.

Marcus glanced down and saw his shirt buttons on the floor. They were in all different directions where'd they popped off. Marcus closed his eyes, and he was back with her.

Her hips cradled him perfectly, and her fingers tugged at his hair as he began to move. Her tight heat engulfed him. Marcus was in heaven and couldn't help telling her again.

"Ti amo." He'd told her as waves of pleasure coursed through him everywhere they touched.

Her lips touched his ear, and he could feel them brush his lobe.

"I love you, too." She murmured.

Marcus rubbed his face and ran his hand through his hair, pulling on it when he got to the ends. Wishing he could shut his brain down, even if just for a moment.

"I love you, Marcus." She had murmured as she stared into his eyes with her doe brown ones. "Ti amo." She told him, and his heart had filled with love. "And you're mine." She'd thrusted against him after her proclamation.

Marcus groaned aloud and held his chest as pain shot through it.

"I'm yours, I'm yours." Bella mewled in his ears as she scratched his back in pleasure.

Marcus released his chest and tugged his hair again in frustration.

Marcus had never felt so complete as he did when he was with Bella. And when the bliss overcame him as he thrust against her, he felt like he was home. He had found his missing half. As he slowly stopped moving, an overwhelming feeling of peace came over him. He felt lightheaded from it, and all he could see was Bella.

"Ti amo." He'd murmured, and then he knew no more.

End Memories

"Marcus?" A voice said hesitantly from the doorway. "Are you ok?" Aro stepped into the room carefully and stared at his brother.

Marcus dropped his head into his hands as his chest ached. "How did I let this happen?" He asked.

Aro stepped farther into the room. "None of us realized the hybrid would go this far." He murmured.

"No, how did I not hear the hybrid? How did I not smell her coming?" Marcus lifted his head. "I've never been beheaded before, Aro. Or had an enemy sneak up on me like that." He rubbed his chin. "Maybe I was too wrapped up in Isabella."

Aro knelt down in front of Marcus and held out his hand. Marcus sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You've touched me many times since she was taken, Aro. I'm sure you've already seen everything, especially of her." Marcus growled lowly at his brother.

Aro rolled his eyes back. "I just wanted to help, brother. To see the last few minutes before she was taken."

Marcus rubbed his forehead in frustration and then placed his hand in Aro's. The room got quiet as Aro watched through Marcus's memories from his last moments with Bella. Aro's face scrunched up, and Marcus's back straightened.

"What? What is it?" Marcus asked as he watched Aro's face.

Aro didn't answer and squeezed Marcus's hand harder as he concentrated.

"Aro!" Marcus barked.

Aro released his hand and glanced up. "You felt out of sorts after your completion with her." He stated.

"I felt peaceful with her." Marcus corrected.

"No," Aro shook his head. "You felt lightheaded and...fuzzy?" The raven-haired king didn't know what word to use. "It's the feeling I've seen in Jane, Heidi's, and now Alec's memories right before they're overwhelmed by confusion. The hybrid used her gift on Alec. And then began on you until she beheaded you." Aro murmured.

Marcus shook his head. "I would've been able to fight it."

"No, you wouldn't have." Aro told him.

"I should have!" Marcus barked. "I should have protected her!" He clutched his chest and gasped from the pain of being separated from her.

"You couldn't protect her with a hybrid messing with your mind." Aro murmured as he stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't lose her." Marcus stated.

"Then we have to put our faith in the seer." Aro murmured. "You had an interesting conversation with her on the phone." He brought up.

"I threatened to behead her." Marcus huffed.

Aro laughed and thought back to the phone call he'd seen in Marcus's memories.

Memory

Heidi handed her phone to Marcus as it rang, right after he ordered someone to get the seer on the phone. Marcus pressed the answer button and zipped away from the throne room.

"So your visions let you know to call now, but not to call when a hybrid is taking my mate away?" Marcus barked into the phone.

"The hybrids are spotty in my visions." The seer explained calmly. "I didn't see Bella get taken, but I saw your reaction when you had your head reattached."

"Where is Isabella right now?" He interrogated. "What are they doing to her? Has she been harmed? Is she ok?" He spat out the questions quickly.

"Bella is knocked out right now, which is a good thing. She's getting a break from the venom you injected her with. I only got a glimpse of her in a car with a male vampire. Then it went black, I'm guessing because the hybrid returned to them." Alice told him.

"You said if we went there now, we'd all die. You can't see the hybrids. How can you possibly know that, Miss Cullen?" He questioned.

"Sometimes my visions get spotty from the hybrids, but not often. I don't think they have too many hybrids yet, honestly. But I can't be sure. But in my vision, I saw Bella-" The seer paused as her voice cracked. "I saw her get executed in front of you. She was still changing. She never stood a chance. And then you perished. I think one of them has a gift because Jane was next. She didn't have time to affect anyone. That's all I'm going to tell you for now." Alice Cullen was quite tight-lipped after that.

"And if we follow what you say? If we wait, what happens?" He questioned.

Alice was quiet. "I can't tell you much. It could affect everything." She murmured quietly.

"Does she live if we do this?!" He barked.

"If you wait, then I see her as a vampire." The seer told him. "But you can't go to her first thing in Romania. You have to fight with us."

Marcus growled. "And leave her alone?"

"She won't be alone. That's all I can say." Marcus hissed at the seers words. "Look, I love Bella too. I never stopped. I see her as my sister. I know I made some mistakes by leaving her, I know. But I am doing everything I can, making multiple decisions to see new visions and changes, to make sure she comes out of this alive. But none of those work if you don't cooperate." The seer sounded near tears.

Marcus growled and slapped his hand against the stone wall in the hallway he'd run to. "If Isabella dies, if my mate dies because of this decision, then I will hold you responsible, Miss Cullen. I will behead you! And I won't let your family put you back together like mine did me." Marcus ended the call and clenched his hands against the wall, trying to ground himself.

He stood straight and marched back to the throne room, flinging the door open. "We listen to the seers advice, we wait." He barked and turned to leave.

"What did she say?" Dora asked, stepping forward.

Marcus growled as he thought over the conversation, Alice Cullen claimed Bella would die if they left now. And that thought made his chest ache. He had to get out of the throne room. He needed to be alone.

"It doesn't matter! We will wait two days!" His voice thundered through the room as he flung the doors open and exited, going to his bedroom.

End Memory

"What if this is just a ploy of the Cullen's to take Isabella back?" Marcus inquired.

Aro sighed. "You can tell Isabella all you want that it was an anonymous phone call that brought knowledge of her to us, but we both know it was Alice Cullen that left that message. Telling us about a human in Forks. And that you, brother, had to be there. You had to lead the guards. The seer led you right to your mate. Why would she take her back now?" Aro murmured.

Marcus sighed and rubbed his chest. "What do the Romanians get out of working with the hybrids?" He asked. He vaguely recalled Renata asking earlier, but with all the chaos no one had answered.

Aro tapped his chin and paced for a moment before pausing. "I can't be one hundred percent sure, but you know when the Romanian's ruled they didn't hide from humans. They even had human slaves. Perhaps the hybrids are just that."

"Or perhaps all the hybrids are gifted like Serena, and they're being collected." Marcus murmured.

"Or they're being bred." A voice spoke from the doorway, and they turned to watch Sulpicia walk in.

The curly-haired queen made her way to Aro, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Stephen and Vladimir could breed with the hybrids, probably with hopes that the offspring will be gifted. The children would be loyal to them, with them being their fathers and all. They'd have their own race to help them rule the world, hybrids who could blend in and pass as humans." Sulpicia told them her thoughts.

"It's a possibility." Aro agreed. "And the Romanians are the perfect shield for Joham. They won't let him die and risk losing the hybrids loyalty."

"But it's still all heresay." Marcus murmured. "We don't know anything for sure. We don't know what we're walking into, besides the newborns."

"What did Alice Cullen tell you on the phone?" Sulpicia inquired.

Marcus stiffened up and glared at the floor. Aro squeezed Sulpicia's hand where it lay on his waist. Sulpicia opened her mouth to apologize for being nosy when Marcus answered.

"She told me Isabella would be killed if we didn't wait to go to Romania." He said brokenly, and Sulpicia gasped.

The queen quickly walked forward and placed a hand on Marcus's shoulder in comfort. "We're going to get her back." She tried reassuring him.

Marcus heard the quiver in her voice, though, and knew she was worried. He rubbed his chest and sighed.

"We need to put some type of security in the tunnels, so no one can sneak in or out of them again." He stated.

"I will go with you, brother." Aro offered. "We could fill them in to block them."

"But then if we need out during an attack or fire?" Marcus questioned.

"I'm sure Caius could make some type of reinforced door. Like he has in the dungeon. Perhaps all three of you should work on it. It will be good for you to take Caius, Gianna needs a break and to feed." Sulpicia said.

"We all need to feed before we go." Marcus informed them.

"I'll have Heidi gather us some humans. We'll feed once the tunnels are blocked." Sulpicia kissed Aro lightly on the cheek and took her leave.

"Let's go collect Caius and block the exit." Aro murmured as he patted Marcus's shoulder.

Marcus got up and followed the raven-haired king out, looking back at the bed as he got a hint of Bella's scent of strawberries with freesia.


Bella still hung from the chain in the dark. The flames licked through her body, and she clenched her teeth, not wanting to give any vampires listening the satisfaction of hearing her. A whine slipped out from her lips anyway, and she squeezed her hands into fists as she tried to quiet herself. But it was too late.

The door swung open, and the light switched on. Bella was momentarily blinded from the brightness, and then her vision cleared as wind flew across her body. Maysun stood right in front of her, staring at her with dark brown eyes. Bella clenched her teeth as a bout of burning spread through her body.

"Look at you trying to be all quiet." Maysun laughed. "Do you think that will make you special or something?" The hybrids eyes narrowed. "Because you're nothing special." She hissed. "You're just a useless slave with a nice gift we'll use in the future."

Bella glared at the hybrid as she unclenched her teeth. "Vladimir was here proclaiming how this was all revenge for his dead mate, and yet you still think you're special to him." Bella told the woman gruffly.

Maysun hissed and pulled her fist back. She let it fly forward and connect with Bella's ribs. Snaps were heard through the dreary room, and Bella's bare skin bled where the hybrid's knuckles had connected. She screamed and squirmed from the pain.

Maysun grabbed Bella's neck and squeezed. "Vladimir loves me!" She hissed. "And after we defeat those scum, the Volturi, we're going to rule over vampires together. I'm going to give Vladimir a heir one day," Maysun's other hand fluttered around her stomach. "and then I'll be a queen." She murmured as she squeezed Bella's neck tighter until the changing human gagged.

Maysun released her and Bella cried out as her ribs snapped back into place, the venom healing them. She gasped for breath as she hung exhausted from the chains.

"You don't mean anything to Vlad. He's mine." Maysun hissed. "Your mates dead, remember? My sister ripped his head off." Maysun laughed.

Bella screamed and jerked against her chains in anguish as pain shot through her chest. It felt like her heart had split in half. Bella could hear Maysun laughing at her pain, and she reared back to spit in the hybrids face. Maysun growled and slammed her fist into Bella's cheek, then her ribs again. Bella cried out as she felt her bones break. Maysun spit in Bella's face and spun on her foot, shutting the light off and slamming the door, leaving Bella screaming in darkness.


Aro, Caius, and Marcus stood back to look at their work. It had taken a few hours, but Caius had created a barred door from Victoria's ashes and a mixture of all of their venom. It would take quite a bit of force to break it, and if someone tried to, then it would be heard throughout the castle. They had installed cameras through the tunnel, courtesy of Felix and Alec, and a keypad with a code that changed weekly to open the door. No enemy would be using the tunnel ever again.

"I think it's time to feed, brother." Caius said as he noticed Marcus's dark eyes.

Caius and Aro both noticed that Marcus had kept rubbing his chest throughout the day. They had tried keeping him busy by talking to him through all the work they did in the tunnel, but it wasn't truly effective.

Marcus knew that his body needed more blood. After being decapitated, vampires need larger amounts of blood than usual to truly heal. But he couldn't stomach the thought of blood. He didn't feel thirsty. He just felt the pull in his chest, trying to take him to Bella.

"Marcus," Aro placed a hand on his arm and saw his thoughts. "you need blood to be strong for Isabella when we fight for her." He murmured.

Marcus looked at Aro with a pained look on his face but let his brother pull him towards the throne room. They traveled quickly through the tunnel, back into the castle, and down many hallways before flinging open the two doors. As soon as they opened, the three saw many human males standing around unmoving as Alec concentrated on them. Sulpicia looked up from her spot on Aro's throne and stood.

"Let's feed." She announced and Alec released the humans.

The men looked sound dazed but that quickly turned to screams as the vampires lunged. Marcus didn't feel the slightest need to bite any of them. Caius saw this and dropped his dead meal to the floor. He grabbed a running human, clawed at their neck to draw blood, and shoved them into Marcus's arms with a hard look.

Marcus growled at Caius and sunk his teeth harshly into the human's neck, draining him quickly. The skin ripped as Marcus ripped his teeth away, blood dribbled down his chin and onto his shirt as he stared Caius down.

"Happy now?" He growled at the blonde king.

Caius smirked. "Extremely." He answered Marcus. "Perhaps you should go clean up your mess." His eyes glanced at Marcus's bloody face.

Marcus growled and turned to leave the throne room. The doors slammed behind him, and then he was running down the halls. He made it to his bedroom in no time at all and headed to the shower. He quickly stripped and got in, turning the handle on hot and lifting his face to the water.

Bella's scent wafted around the enclosed space as it filled with steam. Marcus rubbed his chest as the rope pulled him to her more and more. He pressed his palms to the shower wall and ducked his head as he groaned out loud. He gave in and inhaled big gulps of his mate's scent, his mind going back to the moments they had in that shower. He'd give anything to have her there in his arms again right now.

Marcus stood there, shoulders hunched and hands clenched against the walls, as his mind filtered through every memory of his mate.


Thosands of miles away, two vampires darted through the Romania forrest, dodging trees, as they came upon a large dark stone castle. They both latched onto some tree bark and scaled up until they were safely hidden downwind in the leaves, letting the foliage hide their skin from the morning sun.

"Now what?" The woman asked.

Her cell phone lit up in the darkness with a text message.

We will be there by nightfall. Scout out the castle, count how many "humans" you see, they're really hybrids. Don't get caught. Find Bella.

The two vampires glanced at each other after reading the message. "We stick together." The male murmured sternly.

The woman sighed. "We can cover more ground and find her faster if we go separately."

The male growled. "You're not going into a vampire lair full of wannabe Draculas."" He grabbed the woman's hand. "Come on." He pulled her from the tree, and they landed lightly on their feet before quietly running the perimeter of the castle.


Marcus sat dressed all in black in his throne, his body was stiff and his face angry.

The throne room doors swung open and Heidi entered.

"Demetri called. The jet is ready, masters." She informed them.

"Let's go get your mate back, brother." Caius growled as he stood up.

Marcus was on his feet in an instant, speeding through the hallways and outside to the car that would take him to the jet. They were going to get his Isabella back, and he was going to kill those Romanian scum once and for all!


Author Note : I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Let me know in the reviews! I promise Bella will get her happy ending eventually!